Bill, Amos has expressed it perfectly in his post of 03 Apr 11 - 04:19 PM .

Since "heaven" (a perfect state of being and consciousness) already exists inside everyone in a potential state (not yet fully tapped into on the conscious level, perhaps...but still there available to tap into at any time)...and since God is reputed to be "in heaven"...God is inside every being's own conscious and subconscious potential at its most positive level.

And it's totally up to each of of us whether we decide to tap into that and make use of it...or not. Most people make partial use of it, whether or not they have any outward beliefs about it, because every time they rise to the best that's in them, they make use of it. When they turn negative, they deny it.

All the errors people typically make when they speak about "God" (whether they're for or against the idea of "God") seem to come from the fact that they think of God as being separate from themselves. That's their fundamental error, in my opinion. God isn't separate from anyone, God is simply the highest possibility of good that already pre-exists IN everyone...simply waiting to be expressed.

That's not an exterior being. It's an interior quality of every living thing. In my opinion. "God" is a common cultural term used to refer to it...but that term is only a signpost that points toward something...as are all words. They merely are signposts...auditory and visual symbols...that point the analytical mind toward something, and that something is beyond being confined to words and it cannot be experienced through words. It can only be experienced directly, by making use of what is already within you and putting it into action. People do that. Some call it "God". Some don't. Some call it courage, kindness, compassion or love. It doesn't matter what you call it, it only matters how you use it.

And that's why the Kingdom of Heaven (like God) is within you, not "out there" somewhere. You find it by looking within...and bringing forth the very best that is latent within your own nature.

Easy to say. ;-D Not so easy to do. The easiest way (in the short term) is just to spiral down...like water going down a drain...and that's what people do when they become lazy, greedy, fearful, and negative. They turn away from the best within them, because it looks like too much work or not enough fun or something along that line.

In the much longer run, however, following the negative paths down seemingly easy and convenient spirals turns out to cause a great deal of pain and suffering. And that can bring about dramatic re-appraisals in some people. Religion terms that as "repentance".

It's an interesting factor in spiritual evolution, don't you think? ;-) In the long run natural selection works against greed, laziness, and other forms of negativity, because they are self-destructive.

I look upon evolution on 2 levels, you see. Physical/mental/emotional (the incarnate body-mind being)...and spiritual (that which the body-mind being is temporarily projected from). And I consider those 2 levels as being intimately related in a very coherent and useful fashion. They are meant to work together toward a common end, which is to evolve higher.